Archive for October, 2008

Nursing home nightmare in Georgia?

Golden Living center Decatur, GA

Marcus Yam / AJC Special

A recent nursing home report by the Inspector General’s Office of the federal Department of Health and Human Services paints a bleak picture when it comes to Georgia’s nursing homes. Nearly 90 percent of Georgia’s nursing homes received violations of federal health and safety standards in 2007. The national average was even worse, at 92 percent.

Despite the dismal report, there are many Georgia nursing homes that have caring staff members. In the photo above, the staff at the Golden Living center in Decatur are caring for one of their favorite residents, Georgia Ruth Merrill, who celebrated her 105th birthday at the nursing home this year.

Quality of care and quality of life issues are the most common violations reported nationally. Those that work in nursing homes cite low pay and difficult working conditions as the reason for high employee turnover and inferior care of residents.

Have you placed a loved one in a nursing home? What do you think are …

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Welcome to Caring & Sharing

daughter and elderly mother touching noses

Clipart.com

Currently, there are approximately 37 million senior citizens in the U.S. In Georgia, approximately 10 percent of the population is 65 or older, and our senior population will only continue to grow.

Baby boomers are the largest health care consumer group in the country, and because of their access to modern medicine, this group can expect longer life expectancies than previous generations. Because of this trend, senior housing options have expanded greatly, especially in the metro Atlanta area.

As current or future caregivers, we encourage you to learn about the variety of senior housing and caregiving options available, and give your feedback on what has worked in your own family. We welcome your stories about the joys and struggles of caring for an aging loved one. We hope you will find Caring & Sharing a great resource, as well as a valuable part of your support system.

What senior living issues concern you the most? Is it the cost of senior housing and senior …

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